This Side of the Bulkhead
by Danzinora Switch
Summary: "And how exactly did you get stuck in there in the first place?" One-shot based on prompt. K-plus for some paranoid language.


**A/N: Funny story I wrote based off a prompt generator. Details below. I dinnae own Star Trek, tho' I wish I did. Enjoy!**

* * *

Montgomery Scott hurried alongside Nurse Christine Chapel to reach the shuttle bay airlock. There was a sense of urgency about their steps; however there was no dire emergency. Instead, they were more concerned about delaying and getting someone angrier than he already was.

"How long has he been in there?" Chapel asked as they rounded a corner.

Scotty checked the time. "About ten minutes. At least, since the shuttle left."

She groaned. "He's going to feel like it was ten hours."

They entered a turbolift and hightailed it to the shuttle bay. Once out, they ran the rest of the way to the airlock.

Now was the moment they had been dreading. Scotty took a breath and called, "Doctor?"

There was a thump. "SCOTTY GET ME OUT OF HERE!"

"Aye, Doctor. But we've got t'decontaminate ya first."

"I DON'T CARE, I'LL DO IT IN SICKBAY!"

"Doctor, you can't go walking through the ship with that contagion on you," Chapel persuaded. "Mr. Scott is going to run the decontamination through the airlock, and then we'll let you out."

There was muted grumbling, but no more shouting. Scotty got to work rearranging wires and hooking up a system to the wall. There were some noises as the machinery adjusted. At one point a hum vibrated the floor and walls.

"For God's sake, DON'T PUSH THE WRONG BUTTON!"

"I' 'ot go''a!" Scotty cried through the screwdriver in his mouth.

"Mr. Scott's got it under control," Chapel translated. "You'll be out in a jiffy."

"Which way? If the wrong door opens it's 'bye, bye Bones!'"

"How exactly did you get stuck in the airlock in the first place?" she changed the subject.

"Glory, Chris, I don't know! That blasted Vulcan was in a hurry to leave and somehow the biosensors picked up _his bloody illness!_ Humans can't even get it!"

She knew that much. Dr. McCoy had been called down just before the _Columbus_ left for the planet below to treat a sniffling, wheezing first officer. The shuttle left, but then biosensors picked up a life form in the airlock that was trying to enter the bay proper- however the life form registered a contagion of some sort and wasn't allowed entrance. So she and Mr. Scott were trying to decontaminate an irritated and slightly panicked Dr. McCoy.

"Decontaminating, Doctor," Scotty reported.

The hum grew louder and they could make out furious pacing on the other side. The decontamination switched off and Scotty disconnected the apparatus.

"Ye should be good now, Doctor. If ever-"

"JUST OPEN THE DAMN DOOR!"

Scotty hit the button and McCoy rushed out of the airlock. He stopped in the middle of the shuttle bay and hurriedly patted himself over, checking if he was alive and in one piece.

Chapel caught up to him and waved a scanner over him as Scotty returned the inner shuttle doors to their original state. "Elevated heart rate, high blood pressure… you may want to come to Sickbay and get those calmed down; they're pretty high."

McCoy looked at her like she was crazy. "Of _course_ they are. You try being stuck in a small space for an hour with only _inches_ separating you from the deadly vacuum of space and see how _you _respond!" He looked very flustered.

"Actually, Doctor," Scotty called. "Ye were only in their for approximately twen'y minutes."

McCoy just looked at him, eyes wide and gaping. Finally he tossed his hands to the sky. "I need a drink. A strong, raw drink. And nothing that those blasted synthesizers cooked up, either." He started to amble out of the shuttle bay.

Chapel and Scotty shared a look. She smiled and shook her head. "He'll be alright," she said.

"Aye, lassie," Scotty agreed as they followed McCoy out. "We'll never hear the end of it, but he'll pull through."

"Of course, I think Mr. Spock will get an earful when he returns to the ship," Chapel mused.

Scotty grimaced. "Warn me when it happens; I'll be sure t'go an' hide in a Jeffries tube for a week when that argument starts."

"On one condition," Chapel said seriously, crossing her arms and facing him.

"What?"

"Take me with you."

* * *

**I hope y'all liked it! The prompt was: Montgomery Scott, Christine Chapel, contamination and/or decontamination, agreement and/or disagreement, nacelles, airlock, anger, we're all going to die! from the link below. It's really good if you're looking for ideas on what to write about. Please review!**

**Chronometric Awardspace Co Uk**

**No caps, a period where there's a space, and the regular http stuff before it.**


End file.
